Brinker names Chili's president as new CEO

SaabiraChaudhuri

Brinker International Inc.
EAT, +1.73%
named Chili's Grill & Bar President Wyman Roberts as its new chief executive and president, effective Jan. 1, succeeding Doug Brooks, who will step down after 35 years at the company.

Mr. Brooks will continue to serve as chairman of Brinker--which is the parent company of restaurant brands Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy--through December of next year. Mr. Roberts will continue on in his existing role at Chili's in addition to taking on the new role.

"The board of directors has worked closely with Doug for an extended period of time on this transition and unanimously supported Wyman's selection as his successor," lead director Joe DePinto said. "Brinker has been extremely fortunate to have been led by Doug, who skillfully guided the company through challenging times, augmenting what was already a strong culture and turning it into a competitive advantage."

In a tip of the hat to Mr. Roberts, Mr. Brooks noted that he "could not be more confident that with his business acumen, vision and wealth of experience, he is the leader to guide Brinker forward in the coming years and continue the momentum currently being enjoyed by both Chili's and Maggiano's."

Mr. Roberts was named president of Chili's in 2009, prior to which he served as Brinker's chief marketing officer since 2009 and president of the Maggiano's Little Italy brand from 2005 to 2009. Before joining Brinker, Mr. Roberts served as executive vice president and CMO for NBC's Universal Parks & Resorts. Brinker also described him as a 17-year veteran of Darden Restaurants Inc.(DRI), where he held numerous senior level positions including executive vice president of marketing for the Red Lobster brand.

Like other restaurant chains, Chili's faces the challenge of the uncertain economy spurring diners to become thriftier while food costs are on the rise. But Brinker has found ways to combat these headwinds, by reducing labor costs and reworking its menu and restaurant appearance to attract more customers.

Last month, Brinker said its fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 18%, as it continued to see improving sales trends from its turnaround efforts that began nearly two years ago.

Shares edged down 12 cents to $30.55 in recent trading. The stock has risen 32% in the past 12 months.

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